World Mental Health survey initiative
The World Mental Health Survey Initiative is a collaborative project by World Health Organization, Harvard University, University of Michigan, and country-based researchers worldwide to coordinate the analysis and implementation of epidemiological surveys of mental and behavioral disorders and substance abuse in all WHO Regions.[1][2]
Aim
It is estimated that the burden of mental and addictive disorders are among the highest in the world with expected increase over the next decades. However, those estimations are not based on cross-sectional epidemiological surveys, rather, they are mainly based on literature reviews and isolated studies. The WMH Survey Initiative aim is to accurately address the global burden of mental disorders by obtaining accurate cross-sectional information about the prevalences and correlates of mental and behavioral disorders as well as substance abuse, allowing for evaluation of risk factors and study of patterns of service use in order to target appropriate interventions.
Funding Sources
According to its peer-reviewed published literature, the WMH Survey Initiative is funded by the United States National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; R01 MH070884), the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Pfizer Foundation, the United States Public Health Service (R13-MH066849, R01-MH069864, and R01 DA016558), the Fogarty International Center (FIRCA R03-TW006481), the Pan American Health Organization, Eli Lilly and Company, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.[3]
Collaborators
Collaborators in this survey come from all WHO regions of the world, with 27 participating countries.
| WHO Region | Countries |
|---|---|
| Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) | Iraq |
| Lebanon | |
| Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) | Argentina |
| Brazil | |
| Colombia | |
| Mexico | |
| Peru | |
| United States | |
| African Regional Office (AFRO) | Nigeria |
| South Africa | |
| European Regional Office (EURO) | Belgium |
| Bulgaria | |
| France | |
| Germany | |
| Italy | |
| Netherlands | |
| Northern Ireland | |
| Poland | |
| Portugal | |
| Romania | |
| Spain | |
| Ukraine | |
| Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) | Australia |
| China | |
| Japan | |
| New Zealand |
References
- ^ "The World Mental Health Survey Initiative". Harvard Medical School. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
- ^ "World Mental Health Survey Initiative". University of Michigan. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
- ^ "Pathway to effective treatment for common mental and substance use disorders in the World Mental Health Surveys: Perceived need for treatment". Int J Ment Health Syst. Retrieved 2025-06-15.